Replacing Manual Shifter Cable 2003 Vibe.

[svt4cam]

Couple weeks ago one of the two cables that operates the transmission broke at the crimp between the cable and trans as I was backing out of my driveway. I hopped out got under the hood and managed to find first with the selector lever and got the car back in the driveway. Hopped on the old interweb to find out this part isn't available any longer from GM. Toyota possibly has them. I found a nice used one on ebay from a Matrix 6 spd. (Same cable as 5 spd in Vibe fyi.) and so began my adventure in repairing it. I couldn't find any reference in the online service manual for the job. So I struck out on my own. Next time I'll scrap the car Luckily my Vibe is a toad for our motorhome and is a Vibe of the California flavor. (No rust) I removed the airbox underneath the hood for better access, Carefully remove the spring clips holding the cables to the selector levers and pry up the retaining clips holding the cable in the bracket. There is a retaining bracket held on with 2 10 mm nuts hidden where cable goes into firewall obscured by a heatshield. On mine I crawled under and undid the heatshield (3 10 mm nuts) and slid it back out of the way. Inside you have to strip the lower part of the dash and remove the rear heater vents, air bag control module and tear out some rubber and foam insulation to get very restricted access to the 2 10 mm bolts that hold the flange and weather proofing for the shifter cables. Hope your good at working blind and a contortionist. After about 5 hours of work so far I have gotten the broken one out and the new cables in then stopped for the day. Most of the time was figuring how to access and remove things, because Pontioyta really didn't seem to thing this part would need replaced apparently. I should have filmed or taken pictures of the tear down process but I was very busy flexing my full vocabulary of swear words. If anyone wants pictures of it in torn down state before reassembly I can grab a few next time I can lift my arms above my head and continue working on it.

[tpollauf]

OUCH !!!!! Doesn't sound like fun ! And to think, I'll be replacing shifter bushings (inside at the shifter AND under the hood at the shifter forks) to "smooth up" the sloppy shifting. Don't want to go through what you just did.

[svt4cam]

Have a feeling this might be my fault, or maybe just a fluke. I removed the trans to have it rebuilt couple years back and flexed those cables hard to get them out of my way. I broke the plastic sheathing on the out side of the one that failed, so I don't know if corrosion made the cable fail where it enters the crimp for the nylon piece the goes on the selector. Can't complain too much it failed in my driveway instead of in a desert somewhere.

[Bookworm]

Can't complain too much it failed in my driveway instead of in a desert somewhere.

You're in California? (your profile doesn't say) If so, aren't those two synonymous?